In 2022 I started making cold-processed soaps and illustrating their labels for Hermitage Farm— I was not expecting to fall so deeply in love with soap making but here we are, I’m head over heels! I’m excited to share more of this work soon but first I want to share one that was very personal for me to make:
I love this process because it is part intuition, part chemistry, as ritualistic and visceral as painting, and place-specific. These soaps begin with a walk in the woods just like my paintings do. I also love creating with healing intentions; caring and making things for people is a love language I learned from my family. My Grandma Sue was one of the sweetest ladies *ever* to have lived, and I never felt better cared for than when I was in her home. She had forsythia wall paper in the dining room that always smelled like fresh baked bread, and a long row of forsythia bushes thrived behind her house. Whenever I see these bright yellow flowers I feel her warm energy, and so was born the inspo for this Forsythia Soap!
Besides these sappy memories, I also wanted to make the most of the season’s offerings: Forsythia is rich in Vitamin C with antimicrobial properties, and gently soothing for irritated or sensitive skin. The foraged flowers are infused in the base oils, used as a color pigment and finished as a garnish. Cedarwood, Rosemary, and Lemongrass essential oils add uplifting, bright aromas while also helping repel Kentucky summer bugs. Looks pretty on a plate but I assure you it just goes on your skin 😌
Thanks for reading and can’t wait to share more creations with you soon! And if one of these bars do come into your hands, I hope you feel as loved and cared for whenever you use it as making them felt for me 💛
#coldprocesssoap #artprocess
